32%
survey interest
Home education news
Homeschooling Statistics UK: Why Interest Is Rising
A 2025 survey suggests more parents are exploring home education. Here is what the figures mean, how they compare with official data, and what families should weigh up before making a decision.
126,000
England EHE census
175,900
England 2024/25
Current answer
What does the 2025 homeschooling survey show?
The headline finding is about interest, not confirmed uptake. Survey coverage of the August 2025 Wolsey Hall Oxford / Perspectus Global work said that “32 percent of British parents are considering or would strongly consider homeschooling their child” — EdTech Innovation Hub. The same coverage reported a sample of 2,000 British parents.
That does not mean that one third of UK children are being educated at home. The official England figures used here are separate: Department for Education statistics recorded “126,000 children in elective home education (EHE) on census date in autumn 2025” — Department for Education statistics. The same release recorded 175,900 children in EHE at some point during the 2024/25 academic year.
So the safest way to read the homeschooling statistics UK families are seeing is in two parts: the survey suggests more parents are considering home education, while official England data shows the number recorded in elective home education has also increased. The survey is sentiment data; the DfE release is administrative data for England only.
Homeschooling statistics UK: survey figures and official figures side by side
These figures answer different questions. Keeping them separate helps avoid overstating what the survey proves.
A side-by-side comparison of survey interest, official England elective home education figures and important caveats.
| Figure | What it shows | Why it matters | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
32% of British parents were reported as considering or strongly considering homeschooling. | A measure of parental interest or openness to homeschooling. | It explains why home education is getting more attention among families. | Survey sentiment, not official home-education uptake. |
126,000 children in elective home education on the autumn 2025 census date. | Children recorded by English local authorities as being in EHE on one census date. | It provides an official count for England at a point in time. | England only, not a UK-wide figure. |
175,900 children were recorded in EHE at some point during 2024/25. | The number who were in EHE at any point during the academic year. | This will be higher than a single-day census count because some children move in or out during the year. | England only; it should not be presented as a UK total. |
The most reported known primary reasons in autumn 2025 were mental health at 16% and philosophical or preferential reasons at 12%. | Reasons recorded by local authorities where a reason was known or provided. | It gives official context alongside survey-reported concerns. | Almost three in ten records were unknown to the local authority or had no reason provided by the parent. |
DfE classes the EHE release as official statistics in development. | The collection is still maturing, and the return became mandatory in autumn 2024. | Some year-on-year change may reflect better data collection as well as real changes. | Recent increases need careful wording, especially when comparing recent years. |
Why are parents considering homeschooling?
The survey coverage points to a mix of push factors from school experience and pull factors such as flexibility or individual attention. These are reasons families may be considering home education, not proof that home education is automatically the best answer for every child.
Bullying and safety worries
Survey coverage listed bullying among the main drivers, and NationalWorld reported bullying at 43% among parents considering opting out of mainstream school. DfE pupil survey data gives wider England context: in the May 2025 survey, 21% of pupils in years 7 to 13 said they had been bullied in the previous 12 months.
Mental health and wellbeing
Mental health was another reported survey driver; NationalWorld’s survey coverage reported mental health at 34% among parents considering opting out of mainstream school. NHS England Digital’s 2023 survey found that 20.3% of children aged 8 to 16 had a probable mental disorder. That is useful background context, but it does not show that home education treats mental health difficulties or is a guaranteed solution.
SEND, EHCP or ALN concerns
Some families consider home education because they feel a child’s additional needs are not being met. The details differ by nation: SEND and EHCP language mainly applies in England, Wales uses ALN language, and special-school situations can have extra permission requirements.
Less one-to-one attention or classroom disruption
NationalWorld’s coverage reported survey concerns about little one-to-one attention, classroom disruption and large class sizes. These concerns can help explain rising interest, while remaining reported parent concerns rather than official national causes.
Preference, philosophy or flexibility
Not every family considers home education because something has gone wrong. In England’s autumn 2025 EHE records, philosophical or preferential reasons were one of the most reported known primary reasons, after mental health.
Homeschooling, home education and elective home education: what the terms mean
Families often search for homeschooling, while official sources more often use home education or elective home education. GOV.UK puts the England responsibility simply: “You must make sure your child receives a full-time education from the age of 5” — GOV.UK.
Homeschooling
A common search and media term for parents educating a child outside school. It is useful for plain English, but official guidance often uses home education or elective home education.
Elective home education (EHE)
The official term used when parents choose to provide education at home instead of sending a child to school full-time. It is different from local-authority education otherwise than at school and from children missing education.
Suitable education
Education that is appropriate to the child’s age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs or additional learning needs. It does not have to copy a school timetable.
Local authority or education authority
The public body with duties around children receiving suitable education. In England, councils may make enquiries and can use school attendance orders if they think suitable education is not being provided.
SEND, EHCP and ALN
SEND and EHCP are common terms in England. Wales uses additional learning needs, or ALN. The right process can depend on the child’s nation, school type and support plan.
Private candidate
A learner who takes public exams through an approved exam centre without being enrolled there as a student. This matters for GCSE and A level planning.
Home education rules across the UK at a glance
Home education is possible across the UK, but the process is not identical. Welsh Government guidance summarises the principle as: “In Wales, education is compulsory but attending school is not” — Welsh Government. Scottish Government guidance gives a different consent caveat: “consent is needed for withdrawal from school, consent is not needed to home educate in itself” — Scottish Government.
A nation-by-nation overview of home education starting points and common caveats.
| Nation | Starting point | Permission or notice | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
England | Parents can educate at home full- or part-time, and home education does not have to follow the National Curriculum. | If the child is registered at school, parents should tell the school. A full withdrawal must be accepted; part-time flexi-schooling can be refused. | Council permission is needed if a child attends a special school, and school attendance order situations need separate handling. |
Wales | Parents must secure efficient, suitable full-time education, but school attendance is not compulsory in itself. | Parents generally do not need permission unless the child is registered at a special school. | Welsh guidance uses ALN terminology and asks parents to consider responsibility for costs and provision. |
Scotland | Parents have a duty to provide education, either by sending a child to school or by other means. | Local authority consent is needed to withdraw a child from a public school already attended. | Consent to withdraw is not the same as consent to home educate in itself; Scotland should not be treated as if it followed the England process. |
Northern Ireland | Official guidance describes elective home education as parents educating children outside the school system. | The Education Authority EHE Team records SA1 forms and parent deregistration letters and promotes cooperation with families. | Northern Ireland has its own official sources and processes, so England’s council process should not be assumed to apply. |
Questions to ask before choosing home education
The survey helps explain why more parents are exploring homeschooling. The next step is to test whether home education is practical, suitable and safe for your child now.
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What is the main reason?
Write down whether the decision is driven by bullying, mental health, SEND, school fit, flexibility, philosophy, travel, family circumstances or a mix of reasons.
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What has already been tried?
For school-related concerns, record conversations with the school, support offered, safety planning, SEND support, reasonable adjustments or escalation steps already used.
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What does your child think?
Consider the child’s views, worries, friendships, learning preferences and need for routine. A decision made under pressure can feel very different a few weeks later.
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Can you provide suitable education?
Plan the subjects or projects, learning rhythm, resources, record-keeping and how you will notice progress or gaps.
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How will social, cultural and physical development happen?
Think beyond lessons: clubs, sport, community groups, friendships, visits, online safety and time away from screens all matter.
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What will it cost?
Plan for resources, travel, classes or tutors if used, technology, exam-centre fees and the time an adult will need to give. Avoid assuming grants or free exam entry are available.
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What changes if there is SEND, an EHCP, ALN or a special-school place?
Do not rely on a general rule. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use different terms and processes, and special-school placements can require permission.
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How will GCSEs or other exams work?
Identify possible exam centres early, especially for subjects with coursework, practical work, speaking tests, science practical endorsements or access arrangements.
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Which official process applies where you live?
Use the official guidance for your UK nation and your child’s current school status before withdrawing from school.
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What is the review point?
Set a date to review how learning, wellbeing, social connection and family workload are going, especially if the decision follows a crisis.
A message you can adapt before making a decision
Suggested wording for the school or local authority
Use this when you are considering home education because of school concerns, SEND, wellbeing, bullying or uncertainty about the local process.
Hello, I am considering home education for [child’s name] and want to make sure I understand our options before making a final decision. Please can you confirm in writing: what support or adjustments are currently available through school; whether any special-school, SEND/EHCP/ALN, attendance or safeguarding considerations affect the process; who I should contact at the local authority or education authority; and what records or steps you advise before any withdrawal from the school roll? I would also like to know whether there are alternatives we should discuss before deciding.
It asks for the practical information families often need, avoids making the decision under pressure and creates a written record of advice given.
Sources and further reading
These sources support the survey finding, official statistics, UK nation caveats, exams and sensitive context. For detailed decisions, use the guidance for the UK nation and school situation that apply to your family.
- Open source
EdTech Innovation Hub: August 2025 survey coverage
- Open source
NationalWorld: survey reason breakdown
- Open source
GOV.UK: Educating your child at home
- Open source
Department for Education: Elective home education guidance
- Open source
Department for Education statistics: EHE autumn 2025/26
- Open source
Welsh Government: Elective home education guidance
- Open source
Scottish Government: Home education guidance
- Open source
Education Authority Northern Ireland: Educating your child at home
- Open source
JCQ: Private candidates
- Open source
NHS England Digital: child mental health survey
- Open source
DfE: Parent, pupil and learner voice May 2025
- Open source
GOV.UK: Children missing education guidance
Related Ed Centre pages
Continue exploring Home education news and explainers for families
These linked pages help students and parents move between closely related guidance instead of reaching a dead end.
Home education news and explainers for families
Source-led guides for moments when home-education rules, statistics or local-authority expectations change. Read dates carefully and pair posts with current official guidance for your UK nation.
Children Not in School register: England Guidance
The 2026 Act has received Royal Assent, but several register, consent and oversight duties depend on start dates and guidance. Here is what families can understand and prepare for now.
Home education guidance in Scotland and Wales: what families need to know
A family-facing comparison of the Welsh and Scottish guidance, including child voice, local-authority contact, voluntary home visits and the key ways England differs.
Home education local authority support gaps: what families can do
A source-backed guide to what councils can ask, why support can feel limited, and practical next steps for documentation, SEND, mental health and advocacy.
Home education statistics: what England’s latest DfE figures mean for families
The January 2026 DfE release shows a further rise in elective home education in England. Here is what the figures mean, where SEND and EHCP caveats fit, and what records can help families.
Support and clarity
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.
What did the August 2025 homeschooling survey find?
Survey coverage reported that 32% of British parents were considering, or would strongly consider, homeschooling their child. Treat this as a finding about parental interest, not as an official count of children being home educated.
Does 32% mean one third of UK children are homeschooled?
No. The 32% figure is about parents considering or strongly considering homeschooling. The official England figures in this page recorded 126,000 children in elective home education on the autumn 2025 census date and 175,900 at some point during 2024/25.
Is homeschooling legal in the UK?
Yes, parents can educate children otherwise than at school, but official guidance and processes differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Official sources often use home education or elective home education rather than homeschooling.
Do parents need permission to homeschool?
It depends where the child lives and their circumstances. In England, a full withdrawal from an ordinary school must be accepted, but special-school and school attendance order cases need council permission. In Scotland, consent is needed to withdraw a child from a public school already attended. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own official processes.
Do home-educated children have to follow the National Curriculum?
In England, GOV.UK says home education does not have to follow the National Curriculum. For a UK-wide answer, keep the nation caveat: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each publish their own guidance.
What are the main homeschooling requirements in the UK?
The broad duty is to provide suitable full-time education, but the detail differs by nation. Families should plan the education itself, social and physical development, costs, exams, child voice, SEND or wellbeing needs, and the correct contact with the relevant authority.
Can I homeschool because of bullying or mental health concerns?
Families may consider home education because of bullying or wellbeing concerns, and those concerns appear in survey and official context sources. Home education should not be treated as a guaranteed fix; support, safety, SEND and wellbeing needs should be considered before withdrawal.
Can a child with SEND or an EHCP be home educated?
Yes in some circumstances, but details matter. In England, a child attending a special school needs council permission for home education; a child in mainstream school does not need permission solely because they have an EHC plan. Wales uses ALN language, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate guidance.
How do GCSEs work for homeschooled children?
Home-educated learners typically need to arrange public exams as private candidates through approved exam centres. JCQ says candidates should find a centre, register with it, pay fees, check coursework or non-exam assessment requirements, and arrange any access arrangements through the centre where needed.
Are there homeschooling grants or funding in the UK?
Families should not assume grants, free tutors or free exam entry are available. Families usually need to budget for resources, optional tuition or classes, travel, technology and public exam fees unless a current official or local source says otherwise.
Sources and references
Sources and references
Official guidance
- 1.GOV.UK
Concise England-facing public guidance on home education, curriculum, SEN special-school permission and school attendance orders
- 2.Department for Education
Publication page for DfE guidance for local authorities, schools and parents in England; includes funding and off-rolling-related guidance via the published documents
- 3.Department for Education statistics
Official statistics in development for England; not UK-wide and includes data-quality caveats
- 4.Welsh Government
Statutory guidance for local authorities in Wales; useful for education-compulsory/school-not-compulsory framing, ALN terminology and local authority duties
- 5.Welsh Government handbook
Parent-facing Welsh Government handbook for home educators and families considering home education
- 6.Scottish Government
Guidance for Scottish local authorities and parents; key source for consent to withdraw from public school and efficient/suitable education
- 7.Education Authority Northern Ireland
NI parent-facing EHE page and EHE Team process information
- 8.Department of Education Northern Ireland
Official NI legal-duty framing: efficient full-time education suitable to age, ability, aptitude and special educational needs
- 9.JCQ
Authoritative exam-sector guidance on private candidates, centres, fees, access arrangements and coursework/non-exam assessment considerations
- 10.NHS England Digital
Context on child and young people’s mental health in England.
- 11.Department for Education pupil survey
Useful official England context on bullying, online/in-person bullying and perceived reasons for bullying
- 12.GOV.UK children missing education guidance
Official source for off-rolling being unacceptable and for distinguishing EHE from children missing education
- 13.GOV.UK SEND support
Plain-English government information on SEN support and EHC plans.
News and analysis
- 1.EdTech Innovation Hub
Coverage of the Wolsey Hall Oxford / Perspectus Global survey reporting parental interest in homeschooling.
- 2.NationalWorld
Secondary coverage giving details of reported reasons parents were considering homeschooling.